Eat a Peach

In 2004, David Chang opened a noodle restaurant named Momofuku in Manhattan's East Village, not expecting the business to survive its first year. By 2018 he was the owner and chef of a restaurant empire — fifteen locations from New York to Australia — the star of his own hit Netflix show and podcast, and was named one of the most influential people of the 21st century with a following of over 1.2 million. In this inspiring, honest, and heartfelt memoir, Chang shares the extraordinary story of his culinary coming-of-age.

Growing up in Virginia, the son of Korean immigrant parents, Chang struggled with feelings of abandonment, isolation, and loneliness throughout his childhood. After failing to find a job after graduating, he convinced his father to loan him money to open a restaurant. Momofuku's unpretentious air and great-tasting simple staples — ramen bowls and pork buns — earned it rave reviews and culinary awards; before long, Chang had a cult following.

Momofuku's popularity continued to grow as Chang opened new locations across the U.S. and beyond. In 2009 his Ko restaurant received two Michelin stars, and Chang went on to open Milk Bar, Momofuku's bakery. By 2012 he had become a restaurant mogul with the opening of the Momofuku building in Toronto, encompassing three restaurants and a bar.

Chang's love of food and cooking remained a constant in his life despite the adversities he had to overcome. Over the course of his career, the chef struggled with suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety. He shied away from praise and begged not to be given awards. In Eat a Peach, Chang opens up about his feelings of paranoia and self-confidence and pulls back the curtain on his struggles, failures, and learned lessons. Deeply personal, honest, and humble, Chang's story is one of passion and tenacity against the odds.